Bad deadlift posture. Side view
Is your back getting sore after working out?
One of the biggest things that makes me cringe in the gym is POOR FORM! And one of the biggest culprits is the Deadlift. Lifting with poor posture (like the photo above) is the easiest and quickest way to slip a disc! A herniated disc is not fun at all, sending sciatic pain down your legs, not being able to walk, stand or sit comfortably and that is just some of the side effects.
Good posture and technique whilst deadlifting. Front View
Does your back often hurt after a workout or during a workout? Have your trained/strengthened your deeper abdominals to help support your back during your workouts? If you can’t lie on your back and lower your straight legs to the floor without arching your lower back then you risk injuring yourself when doing weight lifting. (Read my previous post on abdominal training to learn how to train your abs correctly). Everything starts from your core, if you have strong legs but a weak core you will hurt your back at some point, it may even be when you are at home hanging the washing, bending down picking up the kids or out doing the grocery shopping!
5 Steps to strengthen your back
- Make sure your deeper abdominal muscles are switching on, not just your 6 pack. Join a Pilates class to find your transverse abdominus and pelvic floor!
- Lift the weight that is appropriate for your strength. Don’t try and be superman and lift hundreds of kilos with poor form – you are just setting yourself up for a serious back injury and making me cringe in the gym. Start with the correct posture/form and weight and progressively increase the weight as you gain strength.
- Check out your posture in a mirror. If I got a $1 for every time I have corrected faulty deadlift technique I would be a very rich woman 🙂 Most people can see what is wrong before they can feel what is wrong with their lifting. Turn side on to a mirror and make sure you have perfect posture. Think of opening your chest and sticking your bum out behind you, not tucking it underneath you.
- Stretch out tight muscles – if you have tightness in your hamstrings for example it becomes difficult and sometimes impossible to actually lift with good technique. Tight hamstrings will also pull your pelvis into a posterior tilt which will stretch your back and make it weak. Lots of good reasons to stretch your hammy’s. It’s not all about your hamstrings though, make sure your whole body is balanced and you regularly stretch all your muscles.
- Always keep a neutral spine – If you are in neutral there is less pressure on your your discs and less chance of injury. Look at the picture below to see a natural S shape bend in my spine, perfect 🙂
Good lifting technique and posture for the deadlift. Side view.
Let me know how you get on and if you need any help with your technique or abdominal control then get in touch. Please correct any of your friends that lift like this (below picture), before they do themselves some serious damage.
Happy Lifting 🙂
Terrible deadlift posture, front view
#fitnessfaster @fitness_faster #deadlifting #correct technique
